The History of Australian Food

Information about the history and traditions of Australian food...

Prior to European colonisation in the 18th century, Aboriginal
Australians survived for thousands of years on a hunter-gatherer diet.
They were experts at finding food and water in the Australian landscape.
This "bush tucker" diet often included emu, kangaroo, moths, lizards
and snakes as well as berries, roots and honey. Seafood, which was
caught with spears or hooks, was a staple of the Aboriginal diet. The
diet and cooking techniques of a particular tribe varied with their
location. Despite the hardships of this lifestyle many Aborigines
thrived and were healthy and well fed.The British settlers who arrived following Captain James Cook in 1770
did not adjust easily to the staples of the indigenous diet, much of
which they didn't recognise. The scarcity of water was also a shock
after its abundance in the United Kingdom. They did find some foods that
were familiar: fish, geese, swans and pigeons. The settlers put much
effort into developing agriculture to provide a more familiar European
diet. Sheep and cattle were introduced throughout the continent and
familiar crops were planted. Flour was a staple of the settler's diet
and was used to make bread or damper, a dense thick bread.Familiar game animals such as rabbit and deer were introduced for
hunting. The success of some of these introduced species led them to
become pests in the eyes of farmers and environmentalists. Rabbit was to
become an important food during the Great Depression of the 1930s as it
was the only affordable meat for poorer families. In the last twenty
years rabbit has lost its reputation as a poor person's food and has
gained popularity as a gourmet choice in Australian restaurants.Modern Australian cuisine has been strongly influenced by the
palettes of migrants to the country. The influx of immigrants from
Eastern Europe, Asia and the Middle East has brought a vast range of new
flavours. Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Lebanese, French, African and Greek
cuisine have become strong influences on Australian tastes and the major
cities have a wide choice of restaurants. Australian chefs are renowned
worldwide for their fusion cuisine, combining traditional European
cooking with Asian flavours.In recent years vegetarianism and veganism have gained a wider
acceptance in Australian culture, in part because of the importance of
vegetables in Asian and Indian cuisine. There has also been a growth in
awareness of Kosher and Halal eating practices. In modern Australia
traditional bush tucker foods and game meats are novelty or speciality
food items. Meat pie, normally filled with steak, is considered a
national dish.

Australian Cuisine

Understand how Australian cuisine fits in to the rhythms of the
day, and find out about the most popular dishes of the country...

Fish and Seafood

Australia has the third largest fishing zone in the world. The clean
waters around the country provide abundant seafood for export and
domestic consumption. Fishing and aquaculture, which supplements the
main ocean species of salmon, lobster, prawns and tuna, are an important
part of the country's agricultural industry.A legacy of Australia's colonial past is the continuing popularity of
British style fish and chips as a take-away food, often eaten on the
beach. The fish, generally flake or shark rather than cod, is deep fried
in batter and served with chips. Seafood restaurants are common and
popular as the vast majority of the population lives near the coast.
Sydney is particularly renowned for its seafood restaurants.Barramundi, which is found in rivers in the north of Australia is a
popular catch with sporting anglers and is commonly found in
restaurants.

Barbecues

The iconic image of Australian eating is that of a barbecue under
sunny skies. Most homes have a barbecue and they can also be found at
beaches, in camping and caravan parks and on business sites. The type of
food cooked on barbecues has changed with Australian tastes.
Traditional choices such as chops or sausages are being replaced with
marinated steaks and fresh seafood served with gourmet salads and wine.
Barbecues are also becoming increasingly popular as a Christmas meal
rather than the traditional British style meal of roast turkey and
vegetables.

Australian Mealtimes

Breakfast tends to be light and is typically made up of cereal,
toast, or fruit with tea, coffee or juice. In colder regions a cooked
breakfast of porridge, or bacon and eggs is common. Vegemite, a brown
spread made from yeast extract, is popular on toast.Dinner is the main meal of the day in Australia. Typical choices
include roast meat with vegetables, pasta, pizza, a stir fry or
barbecued meat. The meal is usually eaten at home.

Take Away-Food

Australians are one of the world's biggest consumers of fast-food. As
in most western countries, take-aways and fast food reflect a wide
range of cultures. There are a large number of Chinese, Indian and other
Asian restaurants in Australia's major cities offering take-away food.
Australian fast food restaurants serve hamburgers, fried chicken, kebabs
and fish and chips."Sausage sizzles" are stalls selling barbecued sausages and fried onions on white bread with a tomato or barbecue sauce.

Classic Australian Foods

Vegemite is probably the most famous iconic Australian foodstuff.
Others include a honeycomb chocolate bar named Violet Crumble; Dim Sim, a
dumpling inspired by the popular Chinese dim-sum; vanilla slices and
wheat biscuits. Lamingtons are square sponge cakes covered with
chocolate icing and desiccated coconut. They were named after Baron
Lamington who was Governor of Queensland at the end of the 19th century.
Original Lamingtons had strawberry or raspberry jam in the centre but
now it is usually whipped cream.Damper is a traditional Australian bread made without yeast. It was
originally cooked over hot coals and often wrapped around a stick before
being eaten with honey and tea. Today it is often baked with nuts or
dried fruit to enhance the flavour and is popular with butter and jam.There is much debate between Australia and New Zealand over who
created ANZAC biscuits and Pavlova. Anzac biscuits are generally made
from rolled oats, golden syrup and desiccated coconut. They were made by
women during World War One and named after the Australian and New
Zealand Army Corps to whom they were sent.Pavlova is a dessert named after the Russian prima ballerina Anna
Pavlova. It is a meringue shell topped with whipped cream and fruit. The
oldest known recipes for both ANZAC biscuits and Pavlova appear to
originate in New Zealand.The macadamia nut is the only native Australian food to be highly commercialised.

Drinks in Australia

Find out about the popular drinks of Australia,

"Billy Tea", described in the folk song Waltzing Matilda was a staple
Australian drink of the colonial period. It was traditionally prepared
by boiling water into a billy, or cooking pot, over a fire with a gum
leaf for flavour. The migration of many Europeans since 1945 has led to
espresso coffee becoming a more popular drink than tea.The early settlers brought rum with them and it was soon being
produced in the new colonies. In the early years of European settlement
rum was a major currency. Beer has also been popular since colonial
times with beer being brewed since the late 18th century. In the late
20th century Australian beer, particularly Foster's lager, has become popular around the world.